Fantasy football managers who will be without Michael Pittman Jr., Drake London, or Chris Olave this week due to untimely bye weeks are going to have to make some tough lineup decisions on who to start or sit at the WR position in their absence.
Here are some of my start/sit options at the WR position for Week 11 of NFL action.
Which WRs Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?
Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
The Super Bowl LVII rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles features a mostly returning cast of characters. However, there is one new face who could make a big difference for the Chiefs offense in a supporting role … his name is Rashee Rice.
Rice has scored in three of his last six games while seeing his snap percentage increase for five consecutive contests. The Eagles’ defense is giving up the most fantasy points per game to opposing WRs in the NFL through the first 10 weeks of the season. If this turns out to be a high-scoring affair, then Rice should see plenty of work against a struggling secondary.
Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers offense returned to form against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, which led to Brandon Aiyuk’s first touchdown since the season opener. Well, Aiyuk could be in for another big day against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary that is allowing an average of 33.5 fantasy points per game.
If the Bucs attempt to speed up Brock Purdy by trying to bring pressure, that will leave Aiyuk isolated against the Tampa Bay corners, who have struggled to slow down receivers all season long. Expect some big plays from Aiyuk and the Niners passing game in this contest.
Tank Dell, Houston Texans
Houston Texans rookie WR Tank Dell has posted career-highs in targets in consecutive weeks. Fortunately for fantasy managers, Dell was able to produce while seeing 25 targets over the last two games. He followed up his 114-yard and two-touchdown performance in Week 9 with six receptions for 56 yards and a score against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Whether or not Nico Collins returns for Sunday’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, Dell’s role seems to be secure, which means he should be in your starting lineup against Arizona.
Which WRs Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?
Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
After posting fantastic back-to-back outings heading into the Week 10 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, Diontae Johnson had his worst game of the season with just one reception for 17 yards on four targets.
Well, the task won’t get any easier for Johnson in Week 11 when he faces off against the Cleveland Browns defense. Even if the target share jumps back up, the efficiency is unlikely to be there in this specific matchup.
DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins’ three-touchdown performance back in Week 8 already feels like an eternity ago. He caught just three passes for 27 yards against a vulnerable Bucs secondary on Sunday.
While the rookie QB Will Levis has plenty of arm talent, he’s still very much a work in progress and will have games where he struggles as he did on Sunday. Those struggles could continue against a Jacksonville defense who were just torched at home.
Trending Searches for WR Start/Sit
Did you know that we have a Start/Sit Optimizer here at Pro Football Network?! It’s completely free to use, and it allows you to enter up to six players to find the best option to plug into your starting lineup!
It also allows us to see the most popular trending searches, and we’ve jotted some here to help provide some clarity!
Should You Start Rashee Rice or Calvin Ridley?
There is no other way to phrase this right now … it is very hard to trust Calvin Ridley in your fantasy lineup right now. His rough outing against the 49ers on Sunday marks the fifth time he has failed to reach the top eight fantasy points in a game in PPR formats this season.
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While the talent still appears to be there, the passing volume and efficiency simply haven’t been, which makes Rice and his great matchup against a struggling Eagles pass defense the better fantasy play in Week 11.
Should You Start DK Metcalf or DeAndre Hopkins?
The Titans’ passing offense is a work in progress under Levis. Some fantasy managers believe the same can be said about QB Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks passing game in 2023, but at least we have seen multiple big performances from Smith this season, while we have only seen one for Levis.
This week, Smith and the Seahawks will have the chance to exact some revenge from their Week 1 clunker against the Los Angeles Rams — a game that saw DK Metcalf score the only offensive touchdown of the day for Seattle.
Hopkins still has plenty of ability to produce big fantasy days, but his fantasy floor feels a bit unknown with Levis under center while Metcalf presents a similar upside with a much safer floor. I’m rolling with Metcalf this week.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!